Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-13
PATIENTLY ToILINo.
Curious Household Scenes Seen From the
Window OF City Flat.

WINDOW OF City rat
Out Of the window of my fiat it is
impossible that 1 shall look without
becoming in some degree witness of
the domestic affairs of my near neign-
Dor, of whose premises have 4 back
door view. What am going to write
about is no betrayal of my neighbor' 5
private affairs that will ever come
home to him. lido not know my neigh
Dor, but l owe him no grudge, and
would much sooner do him a favor
than an injury.
The first of his domestic affairs that
attracted my special notice were his
two misehievous. curly-headed chill
dren-a little he and she, who, TO
the best of their toddling ability,
amused themselves and filled the small
area where they took their sunshine
with their infantile noise and joyous
ness 1 am indebted to my neighbor
for many momentary intervals of such
solace and satisfaction as Gray Hair at
the easement can snatch from Golden
Hair on the greensward. Children are
the connecting link between the heaven
behind us and the heaven we hope for.
Interest in the children naturally
grew into interest for their care-taker
"a bright-eyed, busy, quick-footed
little mother. She might have stood to
sculptor for statue of Celebrity. Bless
mel How she did. and how she does
go in and out and about! She never
rests.
1t is plain to be seen that the little
mother has no ''hired help" She is
her own sole baby-minder. She is the
chore-doer. She locks the babes in the
area while she goes to market, and
comes back over-weighted, poor thing!
She carries out the ashes and the gar
bage to be taken by the delaying dust
man. She is the purveyor of her own
establishment as well us the house
keeper.
My neighbors are early breakfasters.
Thus it happens that l do not look out
upon their morning affairs. But 1
know the little mother must rise early
and work swiftly, because the traces of
morning meals in her house are gone
before my breakfast hour. and because
every week, early in the day, see her
"wash," a multitudinous array of
shirts and sheets and household wear,
hung out to dry, filling the little area
with Tapping linen and calico. She
does her own washing, too, and the
quantity of it gave me new hint. All
the shirts are not her husband 5. He
wouldn't have SO many, even if he were
clerk in hotel. There are three
dodgers in her house. for whom she
cooks and washes, and doubtless sews
on buttons. The heavy market-basket
is accounted for.
have seen the husband. 1t was Il
fine sun-shiny day, and the wooden
blankets and winter garments were all
hung out and beaten. The moths
are pest. He came out of his house,
Il fine, strapping fellow, with a cigar
between his teeth and good color in his
cheeks. MARY" he said, after in
speeding his winter Overcoat, II think
you had better get these things in out
of the dust; they cost money" 1
didn't like his tone. 1t wasn't unkind,
but it was unappreciative. He might
have carried the clothes easily with his
hulking strength. For her they were
a great load. But good. obedient.
faithful wife that she is, she inme-
diately gathered them up and trotted
away with them, looking like an Atlas
in petticoats staggering under a weight
q world too heavy for her. The hus-
band doesn't romp enough with his
little curly heads to suit me, though /
must acknowledge it is none of my
business. 1t grated on my ear, too,
the other day when the little mother
scOlded them. She is learning to
scold. / fancy, too. that l see her lips
are drawn little, and her CHEEKY eyes
begin to have that tired look which
comes to all of us out of overwork and
perhaps soul-weariness. Late in the
night see bright fire in her kitchen,
and she swiftly passes between the fire.
light within and the darkness without
the husband lounges and
smokes. By midnight the ironing is
done. On other evenings she is less
busy. Then she sews and mends and !
darns and (Heaven save the markD !
rests herself. She gets no time TO read |
at least / never catch her having the |
time or taking it. So much for her |
Her life is, indeed. zone long, demni- |
ton grindr' There may be little COM
forts within the walls of the house |
where my eyes can not penetrate.
the curly-heads bring CLEANS
Of pleasure to the mother-heart. But |
am overcome with sadness every time l !
see her. This mOnologue, perhaps,
would never have been written but for
1 new turn in my neighbor's affairs
that made of them sort of public
property. He was arrested on a charge
IF violence. He is not working now.
He is striking for an eight-hour day.
Still, in his idleness the never-ending
work Of the household goes steadily on;
IL II 4